


Don't Want to Deny My Heart

by AmberLehcar



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-16
Updated: 2015-01-27
Packaged: 2018-02-04 22:44:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1795945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmberLehcar/pseuds/AmberLehcar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where those born with the same mark are bound by fate, young Maka Albarn must fulfill a promise to her mother and search for her Gemina, the one destiny chose for her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“You did pretty well in practice today.  You know, for a girl,” he grunted as he pushed himself off the dusty floor.  He brought himself down for another push-up, not quite finished with his training routine.

She slumped into a chair in the small dining room and replied, “A girl who kicked your butt, remember?”  Sure she had been able to keep up with him, but Maka Albarn was not quite made of the same stuff as her friend and needed to take a breather.  She rested a hand on the cool earthen brick behind her.

“Hey, I went easy on you!  No one can take on me, the Mighty Blake!”

“Sure, whatever you say…”  Maka unwrapped the cloth around her hands, revealing a mark on her right palm.  It had been with her since the day she was born, the shape of a crescent moon.  Absentmindedly, she stroked the mark with the fingers on her left hand.  “Why do you always show off your mark?” she asked her friend.  He had never hidden the star on his shoulder in all the years they had known each other.  

“I wanna find my Gemina!” he grunted, once again holding his body up.  “Doesn’t everyone?”

“Maybe…”  She stared uneasily at her hand.

Blake leapt from the ground, crossed the room, and placed a comforting hand on each of her shoulders.  “Hey, don’t worry.  When you find your Gemina, you’ll be ready.  It won’t end up like your mother.”

“You’re really sure someone out there has a mark like mine?”

“So says the Shinigami!  Has he lied yet?”  The young man left her side and dropped to the earth floor to continue his set of push-ups.  It wasn’t long before her father entered their small home, dropping supplies from his trip to the market on the table..

“Word is there’s a beautiful woman wandering the streets,” Spirit announced with a dreamy sigh.  “No one has seen her in the village before, but they say she’s probably too young for me.  Shame…  Sounds like she has big tracks of land…”  He slumped into a chair, clearly imagining what the young lady must have looked like as he set his muddy heels on the table.  His daughter rolled her eyes at him and pushed them back down to the floor.

With this new information, Blake jumped up from the floor.  “I’ll go check her out, I mean, it out!  C’mon, Maka!”  Against the girl’s will, he grabbed her arm and dragged her out the door.  She managed to grab a pair of leather gloves from the table on their way out.

Shoving the gloves on her hands, Maka glared at her friend.  “You’re only interested in seeing this girl because of her breasts, just like Papa.  Typical boy…”

“That and she could be my Gemina, remember?”  The smell of a roast from one of the neighbors’ sod houses must have caught his attention because be began to murmur about being hungry.

She paid him no mind and kicked at a few rocks on the dirt road, deep in thought.  “What would you wish for?”

“Wha?”

“If you would have a wish granted, what would it be?”

“To be the strongest, of course!” he said, throwing a smile back at her.  They did not make it far down the road before the young man stopped in his tracks, gaze fixated on a figure ahead.

Before them stood a beautiful young woman with long black hair.  She smiled warmly at the villagers, even though many drew away from her.  Most outsiders came to the village for malicious reasons, and the villagers had grown accustomed to that fact.  It did not seem to bother her much, though.  Blake’s gaze caught her attention, and she waved at him, coming closer.  

“Hello there!  I was just passing through.  My name is Tsubaki.”

Maka stepped in front of Blake and introduced herself and the now mute boy.  “I’m Maka, and this is Blake.”  She noted that the taller girl did not have a star on her shoulder.  Blake must have noticed, too, as his eyes lingered on skin exposed below her capped sleeve.  “Are you… here looking for your Gemina?”

“Oh, no, I’ve already found him actually.  I’m really just traveling.  You wouldn’t know of a place I could stay the night, would you?”

Maka pointed her in the direction of the inn and begged her leave, dragging Blake along with her.  “What is the matter with you?” she hissed.  “She isn’t your Gemina, you shouldn’t concern yourself with her.”  She threw a cautious glance over her shoulder to watch Tsubaki make her way in the direction she had pointed in.

Finally coming to his senses, he replied, “But she’s so beautiful!  I want to be concerned with her!”

“Leave her be!  She probably wants to travel without being bothered.”

“I’m gonna go talk to her!”

“You better not!  Come back here!”  Her hold on his arm was not strong enough to hold him back, and the boy made his way towards the inn.  With a sigh, she followed.  Someone had to make sure he stayed in line.

…

“I’m pretty?” Tsubaki asked over the dull roar of the tavern guests.  She dropped some coins in the server’s hand after their drinks arrived.

“Informed!  Pretty informed if you’ve been traveling!” Blake added after a swift warning kick from Maka under the table.  “Whatcha know?”

“Well… I have heard something interesting, but I don’t know if it’s true of not.”  Tsubaki wrung her hands in her lap.  “I heard the young prince is missing.  He was traveling with his carriage and just… disappeared from it.  Prince Wes is worried sick about his brother and supposedly has been traveling the country with a small search party.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he made his way here as well.”

“I don’t think the royal family has ever made it out to this village before,” Maka said.  “If they have, Papa never told me.”

“I saw a search party at a larger town a few miles away,” Tsubaki continued.  “I don’t believe the prince was with them…”

“Could be some witch-hunters,” Blake offered.  “There’s been a witch traveling the country-side.  Nasty thing.  Got our village first.”

Maka clenched her hands for a moment, remembering the day the witch Medusa terrorized their village.  The witch had been born of a wish…  Curiousity set, and she turned to Tsubaki to ask, “Have you had a wish granted?”  The traveler nodded slowly.  “What was it?”

“My wish?  It was… for my brother to find peace…”  The traveler’s fingers gripped her drink tightly.

“Where is your brother?”

“I cannot say.  I haven’t been home for some time.  I don’t believe I am welcome anymore…”

“Why’s that?”

Tsubaki’s eyes lowered to the floor.  “I’d rather not say.”  She scooted her drink closer to Blake and pushed herself away from the table.  “Please excuse me, I’ve been walking for a while.  I think I’ll go to bed now.  It was really nice meeting you both though!”  With her polite smile and wave, the traveler left the tavern.

Blake sighed and rested his chin in his palm.  “I think I’m in love, Maka.”

“Again, you should leave her alone.  She’ll probably leave in the morning.  Besides, like I said before, she isn’t your Gemina, you don’t need to concern yourself with her.”  She sipped on her drink and began pondering her own Gemina.  Tsubaki could not have been that much older than her.  Was it about time she set out to fulfill her promise…?

Limbs waved in front of her face, pulling her back to the tavern.  “Why are you so spacy?” Blake asked before knocking back his own drink.

“I think… I’m ready.”

“For what?  Sleep?”

“No!  To find my Gemina…”

…

She was glad she had decided to leave the village in the daylight rather than under the cover of darkness.  Being alone in the forest was terrifying enough in broad daylight.  She could only imagine what could be hiding in the shadows once night fell…

Maka shook her head.  Now was not the time to be thinking of such things.  She had to find her Gemina and come home.  Finally come home to who she hoped would be a healthy mother.  She had made a promise.  And so she continued deeper into the forest, towards the next town over.  Luckily for her the next town was not too far.  She could make it before the sun set.  Not much good had come from the small “goodbye party” her father held before her departure aside from a few supplies and her father’s old hunting knife.  It was probably the only welcomed gift he had ever given her.  It made her feel much more at ease as she patted it in its sheath at her hip.  

Suddenly, there was movement in the bushes near her.  “Who’s there?” Maka shouted, shakily removing her knife from its sheath.  She heard more rustling and growling sounds coming from whatever creature was moving in the foliage.  “Show yourself, now!”  

The rustling stopped, and a shock of white hair emerged.  A person stood before her, hands raised above his head in surrender.  She noticed burn scars on the palms of his hands.  “Not here to hurt you,” the young man’s voice rumbled.  

“I’ll ask again, who are you?”

“Name’s Soul.  Runaway.”

Her grip on her knife tightened.  “What do you mean, ‘run away’?  I’m not scared of you…”

“No, I mean I’m a runaway.  That’s why I’m in the woods.  So bygones?” he asked, nodding to the knife in her hands.  She watched him like a hawk while reluctantly sheathing the weapon.  “What about you?  A girl in the woods by herself?”

“I’m perfectly capable of defending myself, thank you.”

“Your Gemina, huh?” he guessed, lowering his arms and readjusting his long sleeves.

Maka froze.  “Y-Yeah.  Figured it was about time I searched for mine.”

“Most girls your age don’t.  Not ready.”

“I need to though.  I promised.  For my mother.”  She glanced down at her right hand on the hilt of her knife.

“I see.”  Soul stepped closer to her.  “Me, I’m not ready to meet mine.  So I guess you could say I admire you for taking fate into your own hands.”  She blushed at his words.  “One’s a lonely number in these woods.  Mind if I come with you, Lady…?”

“Maka,” she answered.  “And I’d prefer if you wouldn’t call me Lady…  I’m nowhere near important enough for that.”

“So just Maka then?”  She nodded.  “Alright, then I’m just Soul, kay?”

“What, no ‘Sir Soul’ for you?”

“I’ve had enough of that…”  He stared at the ground, hands balled into fists.  

Her own gaze dropped to the ground, ashamed for having teased him.  “So, Soul… Where are you going?”

Pulled from his thoughts, the young man shrugged.  “Anywhere but here.  Any idea where your Gemina might be?”

“No… But before I was interrupted,” she punctuated the word with a sharp glare to her new companion, “I was on my way to Mors.”

“Sounds good to me,” he replied, slinging a pack over his shoulder and walking away.  Realizing Maka was not following, he stopped and looked over his shoulder at her.  “Coming with?”

She rolled her eyes and shot a thumb over her shoulder.  “Mors is that way…”

The quick look of embarrassment did not get past her as he started walking in the correct direction.  

“You don’t travel much, do you?” she asked with a bit of amusement.

“You’re one to talk,” he replied grumpily.  “Saw how much you were shaking.”

She pouted, following him close behind.  “You startled me! You could have been a bear, a bandit, a witch!  I was just staying on guard!”

He smirked and shrugged at her.  “Whatever you say.”

“I’m not your babysitter, by the way,” she said, quickening her pace to get ahead of him.  “Once we reach Mors, you are on your own.”  She threw a glance over her shoulder to see his reaction.  The amount of apathy in his shrug bothered her for some reason.  “So… those scars.  There must be a good story behind those.”  The road to Mors was going to be even longer if they remained silent the whole way.

Soul shoved his hands into his pants’ pockets.  “Not really.  Accident.  The reason you tell your kids not to play with fire.”

It was obvious to her she was not about to get anywhere with the young man.  His attitude was grating on her nerves, even though he was the one asking to tag along.  Just as she was about to decide that a bit of silence was probably for the best, a loud growl came from his stomach.

He blushed furiously when she turned back to him.  Turning away from her, he asked, “You… wouldn’t happen to have any food on you?  I used up all of my provisions a little while ago.”

Maka rubbed one of her temples.  There was no way they would make it to Mors before sunset with her new companion taking up all their precious daylight.  But she couldn’t complain too much.  Breakfast had been some time ago, and she was beginning to feel hungry herself.  With a sigh, she set her pack on the side of the path and starting walking just a bit into the woods.  Curious, Soul started to follow her until she shouted at him, “Stay with my pack!  Don’t let anyone or anything run off with it!”

He did as he was instructed and waited patiently for her to return with kindling.  “What’s all that for?”

“A fire?  For cooking?”

“Ah, right.”  He watched her, mouth agape, as she started a fire with some flint from her pack.  As she began setting up a spit, he asked her, “Where’d you learn to do that?”

Without turning from her work, she answered, “My mother taught me.  She used to do all the cooking at home, and then I took over when she got sick.  It’s not too hard really.”

“Never seen anyone actually do it before.”

Just as she finished setting up everything for cooking, she looked up at him with a very perplexed expression.  “You’ve never seen anyone cook over a fire before?  What kind of cushiony life did you leave?”

“Well isn’t it a woman’s job to cook?”  

He was lucky she had finished setting everything up for him.  She threw her pack into his stomach a bit harder than necessary.  “Well this woman is not cooking.  You’re hungry, you feed us.”  She took a seat on a nearby boulder, arms and legs crossed.  

Shooting a glare at her, he rummaged through her pack for some meat and put it on the spit over the fire.  “Not a problem.  Like you said, s’not too hard, really.  It’s just dinner.”  He smirked, mentally patting himself on the back, as he leaned on one of the ends of the spit.

She raised an eyebrow at him.  “Not too hard, huh?”  He nodded at her, puffing with pride.  “You realize your sleeve is on fire, right?”

Sure enough, his sleeve had caught fire.  His immediate reaction was to try to yank his arm from the sleeve while Maka shrieked at him to drop on the ground and roll.  In an attempt to help him pat out the flames, she managed to tackle him to the ground, narrowly missing the spit as her legs flew out from under her.

With the flame now out, she propped herself up on her hands and knees.  “Someone made a big deal out of ‘just dinner’,” she teased before getting back on her feet.  “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the food.  Good thing you didn’t ruin it.”

He propped himself up on his elbows and stared at the singed remains of his sleeve.  “Thanks…” he offered.  “Gonna need a new shirt when we get to Mors.  Looks like I lost a button, too.  Great…”

Maka rolled her eyes and returned her attention to their meal.  It was going to be a long journey to Mors.


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of hoofbeats echoed through the woods.  The leader of the horsemen shouted a halt as he noticed a peculiar glimmer on the ground.  It turned out to be a button, but not just any button.  A gold button with the insignia of the royal palace, just small enough to barely be noticed.  The man dismounted from his horse and gingerly picked it up off the ground.  “I’d wager this is the prince’s, wouldn’t you?” he asked one of his companions.

Another horseman whistled over to a silver-haired young man as he stared deeply into the woods.  "Sire, I think we've found something!" he called over to him.  

The prince turned slowly the the horsemen, eyes tired and mouth set in a grim line.  They had been searching for days with no leads. But as he took the button from the man’s hand, his eyes grew to the size of saucers.  A grin crept to his face.  "This is it," he breathed.  "This is the lead we've been looking for."  Button in hand, Prince Wes flew to his horse, untying it from it's place at a nearby tree.  He clambered atop, turning the beast towards the town of Mors.  "Quickly!  He can't have gone too far on foot!  Mother and Father have been left worried for far too long.  It is time to bring my brother home!"

His men, too, climbed atop their horses, and the group made their way to the small town.

...

"How do I look?" he asked her, lifting his arms out wide in his new shirt.  Soul turned ever so slightly, letting her view his new wardrobe from different angles.

"You have money for expensive clothing but not for new provisions?" Maka asked, arms crossed and unamused.  "Your priorities don’t seem to be in the right place."

"Sorry I happen to like nice things, Maka," he pouted.  "Coulda just said 'fine'..."

"Yes, you look nice, now remember our agreement."  The blonde looked him dead in the eye.  "I'm no one's babysitter, okay?  I have someone important to find, remember?  And you just hold me back.”  She tapped him hard in the sternum.  “You just take up too much of my valuable time!  I need to get going.  I need to fulfill my promise..."

"You keep talking about this promise, but what is it exactly?"

She sighed and played with a piece of her hair as she contemplated her next few words.  "My mother became ill.  And I promised I would find my Gemina.  For her."

"All of this for your sick mother?"

Maka’s hands dropped to her sides and balled into fists.  "She means the world to me!  I would do anything for her!  I'd travel the world and back if only to fulfill my promise to her!"

He eyed her seriously for a moment.  "You really are something."

"So are you.  Wasting my time.  Please, I have to go.  Your company was wonderful, but I just need to be on my way.  Good luck to yo-"  As she turned away from him, her movement was halted by a hand on her wrist.

Soul refused to look at her as he tugged ever so slightly at her arm.  "Please..." he mumbled.  "I... don't wanna travel alone... You've seen how incompetent I am.  I'll die out there..."

Her gaze flickered from his face to his hand and back.  What now?  Should she give in?  Take him with her and have some sort of fantastic adventure?  Or some awful one filled with more drawbacks?  Or leave him and travel alone?  Saving time but probably being incredibly lonely?  He watched her intently for her answer out of the corner of his eyes.  Those red eyes of his tugged at her heartstrings.  

She caved.  "Okay..."

A toothy grin crossed his face as he dropped her hand.  “Thank you!  You won’t regret thi-”  Soul froze in the middle of his sentence, eyes wide in fear.  Behind the girl, he spotted a royal guard on horseback.  “We have to get going,” he whispered urgently.  Throwing some coins to the merchant he had just purchased his new shirt from, he grabbed a cloak and threw it around his shoulders.  With one hand he brought up the hood, with the other he tugged on Maka’s wrist.  “I’m being serious, we have to go, now!” he hissed at her.

Despite her confusion, she followed him obediently.  “What’s going on?  Why are we running?”

“They can’t know I’m here!”

“Who?”

“I’ll explain later, just please hurry!”

The two ran through the dusty streets and around the stone homes, trying to find the best way back into the woods without being found by the horsemen.  But around most every corner, they found another guard.  Feeling trapped, Soul pulled them up against a building, taking Maka’s face in his hands.  “Just go with it for now,” he whispered, kissing her before she had the chance to question him.  With his hood up to cover his hair and Maka’s face pressed into his own, Soul went undetected by the guard as he rode by the couple.  

“I thought that merchant said he’d gone this way…” the guard thought aloud, absentmindedly stroking his beard.  As another came up beside him, he called out, “Any word on the boy?”

“No, sir, but there are reports of a witch nearby.  His Majesty asks that we investigate.”

He sighed.  “I signed up for a hunt, sure, but not for a witch…”  Reluctantly, he followed the second guard towards the eastern edge of town.

As soon as they were out of sight, Maka shoved Soul away from her.  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”  She wiped her mouth on her sleeve dramatically.  “Was that really necessary?”

“I had to do something or else they’d see me!” he hissed, throwing a glance over his shoulder to make sure the horsemen were really gone.

“Is this a common thing for you?  You get in trouble and kiss whatever girl is closest?  Ugh, what a pig…”  She crossed her arms and glared at him.  “Why were they looking for you anyway?  Are you some sort of criminal or something?  I do not associate with criminals.”

“No, not exactly… I just-”

“You just what?  You told me you’d explain yourself!”

“It’s… It’s a long story, okay?  I can’t really explain now, but I promise you, when I can I will.”

She sniffed, annoyed, and turned toward the direction the men had left in.  “You think the witch they were talking about was Medusa?” she thought out loud.

Soul shrugged.  “Don’t know anything about witches.  I’m not sure, but let’s get going.  I really don’t want to run into more of those guys.”  He started for the west, but stopped in his tracks when he realized Maka was not following behind.  “We going or not?”

After a long pause, she spoke.  “I’m going after them.”

He stomped over to her and grabbed her shoulder to twist her around.  “Weren’t you listening?  They can’t find me!  We’ve been over this!  And you want to go after them?”

“Not the men, the witch.”

“I don’t know about you, but I am just a mortal.  I was not made to hold my ground against a witch!”  Soul’s fingers began to dig painfully into her shoulders.

She glared at the ground, hands once again balled into fists.  “You’re right… I’m not ready yet…”  The words left her mouth feeling dry.

“What?  Is your goal in life to become a witch hunter?”

Brushing his hand off her shoulder, she moved westward.  “Just this one in particular.”

“What’s so special about this particular one?” he asked, catching up to her.

She tossed a sly grin over her shoulder.  “It’s a long story.  I can’t explain now, but when I can I will.”

He groaned and rolled his eyes, shoving her with his shoulder as he moved to get ahead of her just as the sun began to set.

…

Tension between the two eventually diminished as they began setting up camp.  Talk was small, mostly consisting of Soul teaching her the names of various flora and fauna and her teaching him practical methods of using the flora and fauna.  “Where on earth did you learn all these useless things?” she asked, stoking their newly made fire.

“My brother had a fascination with violins,” he explained as he gently laid his hands on one of the tree trunks, making it a point to ignore her “useless” comment.  “Carved one himself, actually.  Taught me all about the different kinds of wood that were best for that sort of thing.”   

“Funny you finally told me about your past,” she smirked.  “I thought you weren’t going to tell me anything.”

Soul’s hand paused on the bark.  “Sorry…”

Even though he could not see her do so, she shook her head violently.  “No, no, I… should be apologizing to you.”  He turned to look at her, confusion written on his face.  “I feel like we got off on the wrong foot when we first met.  And to be honest, I kind of enjoy your company.  It’d be pretty lonely out here without someone to travel with.”  She could feel the tips of her ears burning, the start of a blush.  “I can’t explain it, but for some reason I feel I can trust you.  Just something about you, I don’t know.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, he offered a shy smile.  “You’re welcome, I guess.”  They both returned to observing the trees and tending to the fire respectively.

They remained silent for some time before Maka spoke up again.  “Papa was a trader when he came to our village, Aire.  He always said Mama was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on.”

“What’s all this about?” he asked, coming closer to her.

“You shared your past, I guess I can share mine.  Now where was I?”  Crouching down next to the fire, she raised her gloved palms toward the flames.  “I ended up an only child.  Papa has… wandering eyes.  Mama put up with it for a while, but when she got sick, she left.  Probably hurt him more than he ever hurt her…”

Soul placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and paused a moment.  “Could I try cooking this time?  But, uh… I could probably use a teacher.”

She smiled up at him and turned back to the fire to begin the lesson.  Dinner ended up a bit charred, but still edible.  After finishing up dinner, the two laid out their bedrolls and settled down for the night.  

Maka noticed that after some time, probably at a point Soul thought she was asleep, he scooted himself and his own bedroll next to her, his back touching hers.  A smile tugged at her lips, and she finally let herself drift off to sleep.

…  
  


“Finally, no more trees!” Soul exclaimed, stretching his arms over his head.  As they reached the edge of the forest, the trees parted, making way for an enormous field of wildflowers.  “So, where to next?”

Pulling out her father’s map, Maka replied, “I think we should be heading north from here?”

“You think?  As in you aren’t sure?”

Her face scrunched up in concentration as she turned the map this way and that, trying to get her bearings.  “Papa was a trader, remember?  Not a cartographer.  He only trusted his map since he made it himself, but that doesn’t make it the most accurate.”

“Here, lemme see,” he said, snatching the map from her hands.  Studying it a moment, he sighed and handed it back to her.  “Nope, no idea…”

“Are you two lost?” a voice asked behind them, causing them both to jump.  The two turned to find a tall blonde woman with a basket full of flowers and a patch over one eye.  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.  You seem troubled.  Can I help?”

“You’re Lady Mjolnir, aren’t you?  You tend to these fields and sell the flowers?” Maka asked.  The woman nodded.  “I’m Maka Albarn, and this is my…”  She paused and couldn’t help but notice Soul eyeing her, waiting for her to finish his introduction.  Just what were they exactly?  Acquaintances?  Companions?  Friends?  Certainly not more than that.  She settled for “This is Soul” and avoided eye contact with him, afraid that he would give her a disapproving look.

Lady Mjolnir eyed her suspiciously, but continued, “I’m impressed you two made it through the forest all right.  That awful witch was seen making her way through, so it’s good to see that you aren’t hurt.”

“Not hurt, but definitely lost,” Soul said, motioning to the map in Maka’s hands.  The girl glared at him in response.

The woman nodded and motioned for the two to follow her.  “I’ll get you a more… accurate map.  You two must be tired, too, so you might as well rest for a little while if you can.  I don’t mind opening up my home.”

Soul shot Maka a cautious look, to which she rolled her eyes.  They would be fine, he was worrying for nothing.  Maka had heard stories of Marie Mjolnir from her father.  She was a good woman who looked after any travelers that came her way.  “Sure, lead the way!”

The group made their way through the field, Marie occasionally plucking a flower or two as they walked, and finally reached a small hut.  “Here we are, home sweet home,” the woman exclaimed, throwing open the door.  Inside, the one-roomed hut was decorated with many bouquets and knick-knacks, small charms of various sizes and shapes strewn across the dining room table.  “Go ahead and make yourself comfortable.  Does tea sound good to you?” Marie asked, heading to the fireplace.

The two took a seat on the edge of Marie’s bed, Soul responding to the woman with a grunt and Maka responding with a “Please”.  “What are all those charms there for?” the girl asked.

“Safe travels,” she explained, setting a kettle over the now lit fireplace.  “Travelers from all corners of the continent come to me for them.  The ones that make the extra trip back to me have no complaints.”

Maka reached for the one closest to her, the shape of an almost cute-looking skull, if that was possible.  She snorted, amused, and placed it back where she had found it.  “We’re actually looking for the next town.  We’re on a mission.”

“You aren’t too far away, but it is still a bit of a trek north to Vardent.”  Offering a tea cup to each of them, Marie asked, “What business do you have there anyway?”

“I’m looking for my Gemina.”

The woman’s eyes darted back and forth between the two.  “You’re looking for your…”  Setting her confusion aside, she sighed and pulled the single chair away from the table to sit in.  “I suppose if you’re looking, it isn’t a bad place to do so.  But why not head to Greywald?  You won’t find a larger collection of people than there.”

“We might… run into a bit of trouble there,” Maka said, glancing at Soul.  He drank his tea in silence, making it clear that he did not want to discuss the royal city any further.  

Marie nodded and stood up to cross the room.  Retrieving a map from her dresser, she continued, “Please be safe.  I would hate for something to happen to you.”  She handed the map to Maka, worried eyes trained on the girl’s own.

“We’ll be fine,” she assured her, taking the old parchment.  “Thank you for your help and hospitality, but we really should be going.  Right, Soul?”  Something else held his attention as he nodded absent-mindedly.  She sighed and rose from her seat, pulling her companion from his thoughts.  “Shall we?”

“You go on ahead, I’ll catch up.”  Face steeled, he was completely unreadable to her.  The girl simply shrugged and left the small hut with one final wave to Marie.  Once she was gone, Soul turned to the woman and asked, “How much for one of those charms?”

“Excuse me?”

“I want to buy one.  That one, actually,” he said, pointing to a flowery charm.

Marie giggled slightly.  “I don’t think it quite suits you!”

“It’s for her.”

The giggling stopped.  “That one is more expensive.  The flowers I use for it are hard to come by.”

Holding up a finger for her to wait a moment, he dug in his pants’ pockets.  After the fiasco with dinner and a burned shirt, Soul had made it a point to hold onto some of the remains of his old shirt.  Specifically the remainder of the buttons.  He offered one to her and explained, “It may not look like much, but it is solid gold.  See the insignia?  It’s from the royal palace.”  She eyed him cautiously, not reaching for the button.  “I didn’t steal it, I promise.  It’s clean, just take it.”  Hesitantly, she plucked it from his hand and gently placed the charm he’d chosen in his empty palm.  “Thank you,” he said before turning to leave.

Realization set in, and Marie’s eyes went wide.  “Wait!  You’re the-”

“Soul!  Come on, I’m going to leave without you if you don’t hurry!”

Soul placed a finger over his lips, begging the woman not to rat him out, before calling back to Maka, “Yeah, I’m comin’, I’m comin’!”  

Without another word, the two were gone, leaving Marie alone in her hut, mouth agape and solid gold in her hands.

“What took you so long anyway?” she asked, eyes never leaving their new map as they continued on their way.  Reorientated them was far easier with Marie’s help.

“Gotcha something.  Stop for a sec.”  She did as he asked and was surprised when he reached for her blouse.  Before she could screech at him, she realized that he was pinning something to her.  He stepped back to let her see the charm he had bought her.  “We could use one, don’t you think?”

She pinched the bridge of her nose.  “I thought we already discussed your frivolous spending habits!  Why would you buy such a useless thing?  You know that those things are just a scam for people who believe in silly things like that!”

“Hey, I’m one of those people who believes in ‘silly things like that’.  Plus I thought you’d like it.  It… looks good on you…”  He fought to keep a blush from painting his face.

Settling down, she looked back to the charm.  It really was lovely.  “But why?”

“Consider it a gift.  For all you’ve done for me.  Now can we keep moving?”  He snatched the new map from her and started walking, muttering about how Marie’s map was so much easier to read.

Maka brought a hand up to her chest, fingers laying gently on the charm, and smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to Nessie for helping me with late-night beta-ing. She is a godsend!

The forest and Lady Mjolnir’s fields had been so full of life.  The bright colors of the plants and the singing of the birds had made the trip up until that point rather peaceful, and somewhat enjoyable.  But as they approached Vardent, the atmosphere changed.  As they made it to the edge of the village, everything seemed to quiet into silence.  It made Maka very uneasy.  Something was wrong.  Her thoughts drifted back to Marie and how she had mentioned Medusa making her way through not long ago.  Had she hit this village like she had hit Aire?

Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, jolting her from her thoughts.  “Take it easy,” Soul said, patting her shoulder once.  “I can sorta hear something up ahead.  We should go check it out.”  She nodded at him and followed as he took the lead.  Now more than ever, she was glad for his company.  The touch of his hand made the uneasy feeling lessen at least somewhat.  As they made it to the center of town, the two heard shouting.  Following the voice, they found the residents of Vardent gathered before a makeshift whipping post.  

Save for a few whispers among themselves, the people remained quiet as a guard with a whip in his hand continued to shout.  “You lot seem to think that you can get away with whatever your heart desires!  I’m here to tell you that your days of simple slaps on the wrists are done and over with!  And we’ll start with this one!”  He turned to the whipping post, a weak, middle-aged man bound to it, and raised the whip over his head.

Maka lunged forward, pushing past the villagers, and grabbed the guard’s arm before he could bring the unforgiving whip down across the victim’s back.  Soul forced his way to the front of the crowd, mouth wide as he watched her.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, kid?  Let go of me!” the guard spat, trying to rip his arm from her grasp.

“I’m stopping you from hurting someone!  Who do you think you are, whipping villagers like this?”   She managed to wrestle the whip from his hands and tossed it aside.

“I am the law around here, girl, and the law says those who commit a crime get to pay the consequences!”

“And what did this man do to deserve a public lashing?!”

Pointing an accusatory finger at the man bound to the post, he answered, “He stole straight from the tax collections!”

Her hands balled into fists and began to raise, ready to strike the guard, but Soul saw her reaction coming and pushed his way between him and Maka.  Red eyes glaring directly into the man’s brown ones, he said, “All this over a few measly coins?  Look at him!  That man wouldn’t last very long, you’d kill him! All because he is poor!”

“Our laws are absolute!”

“And what would the king think?” Soul asked with a smirk.  “After all, Vardent is part of the kingdom.  Last time I checked, His Majesty never ordered thieves to face a public lashing.”

Lips pursed and face flushed red, the guard moved a bit towards the whip, but Maka kicked it even farther before he could get to it.  “And who the hell do you think you are?” he spat at the white-haired boy.

“I work for the king.”

Maka’s jaw dropped.  There it was, the secret he had insisted on keeping from her their entire journey thus far.  But she still couldn’t understand why he could not be found by the king’s men, why they had to avoid Greywald even though there was a good chance her Gemina was there.  She hoped that once they were done with the guard he would explain everything to her.

Fear flickered in the guard’s eyes at Soul’s words.  Trying his best not to tremble, he asked, “Wh-why are you here?”

“Someone’d reported that this village was being run by a cruel man.  On top of harsh punishments, they said you’ve been stealing from these already poor folks, far more than this man has stolen from you.” He stepped away for a moment to grab the whip from the ground.  “Now, as I recall, the law says that stealing is punishable by whipping.”  A threatening crack from the whip startled the crowd.  “Now a good time for you?”

The guard fell backwards to the ground, arm raised to protect the rest of his body.  “Please, spare me!”

Another crack.  “Then leave.  Don’t ever come back to Vardent again.”  The stern look on Soul’s face did not falter as he watched him scramble away from the center of town and presumably out into the fields.  Finally, the boy’s features softened as he sighed, haphazardly tossing the whip aside.  

Still rooted to the spot, Maka couldn’t believe what she had witnessed.  The same boy who had no idea how to care for himself in the woods, the one who was bad with money, the one who had been so dependant on her could do something so… amazing.  His face suddenly appeared before her, a hand patting the top of her head.

“We gonna let him loose or do you want to stand there gawking a little longer?”

Her face flushed, and she rushed to help cut the man free from the whipping post.  “Why did you steal the money anyway?” she asked as she finally cut through the rope.  

Still trembling from the ordeal, the man pointed to a group of people huddled together and answered, “My family.”  Maka’s family had never been wealthy by any means, but they always had enough to get by.  Enough food, enough clothing even if they weren’t the nicest, a good home.  The man’s family looked as though they hadn’t seen enough of much anything.  “Since that witch appeared, we don’t get many visitors, much less anyone wanting to pay to stay.”

She placed a comforting hand on the man’s arm.  “I would have done the same.”  He returned the smile she gave him with a half-hearted one of his own.  Another glance over to his family found the oldest woman, presumably his wife, anxiously waiting for an okay for her to come to him.  Maka motioned to her, and she and their children all ran to the man, each trying to get a hug in.

“How can we ever repay you?” his wife asked her between sobs.

As the blonde waved her hands in front of her, ready to tell her it wasn’t necessary, Soul stepped forward and answered, “Do you have room for two more?  Not for long, maybe a couple of nights?”

“We couldn’t possibly ask that!” Maka shrieked at him.  “They barely have enough for themselves, let alone two others!”

“We can work for our stay,” he replied with a shrug.  “Look, I know you wanna keep moving, but your Gemina could be here.  And even if he’s not, you need to rest somewhere that isn’t outside in the cold.  You gotta take care of yourself.”

She opened her mouth to argue once more, but shut it just as quickly.  She hated to admit it, but he was right.  Turning back to the family, she said, “Like he says, we can work if we need to.  Do you have room?”

The wife’s eyes lit up.  “We run the inn in the village, actually.  And it would be our pleasure to let you stay, for free of course.”  Before Maka could object, the woman interrupted, “You saved my husband.  A couple of free nights for you is the least we can do.”  And with that, the family ushered the two travelers to the inn and into one of the available rooms.

Left with quick directions to the kitchen and outhouse, Soul and Maka set down their packs on the floor and investigated their new surroundings.  It was a modest room, consisting of a bed, a side table, and a stack of ragged blankets in the corner, extras for harsh winter nights.  Something twisted in her stomach as she stared at the single bed.

“Bet they think we’re together,” Soul said, seemingly reading her mind.

She hummed an affirmation and took a seat on the edge of the bed.  A nagging in the back of her head reminded her of his words to the guard.  “You said… You work for the king?”

His flinch did not go unnoticed.  Silently, he moved toward the stack of blankets.  “Tired?  Could use a nap myself after all that, and we have time before dinner.”  

“Stop avoiding my questions!” she shouted, slamming a fist on the soft mattress.  He paused, blankets in hand, clearly figuring out his answer.  “Just tell me already!  Do you work for the king?  Is that why you were traveling?  Why we can’t go to Greywald?  Because you aren’t done with your assignment yet?”

He laid the blankets out on the floor into a makeshift bed, folding one blanket into a temporary pillow.  “I don’t anymore,” he said matter-of-factly.  “That’s why I can’t go back to Greywald.”

“You mean you lied to that guard?”

“A human life versus honesty, which do you think I value more?”

Her eyes dropped to the floor.  He had a point.  Bringing her eyes up to meet his, she asked, “What if I want to go to Greywald still?  Even if that means without you?”

He shrugged and lay down, bringing the covers up over his face and rolling away from her.  “Do what you want,” his muffled voice called.  “Taking that nap now.  Talking to that group kinda wore me out.  Talking to you wore me out more,” he grumbled.

She pouted and threw one of the pillows from the bed at him, satisfied with his disgruntled “mmph”.  There were still so many questions to ask him, and apparently so many questions to dodge for him.  But she had to admit, their trip had exhausted her, too, and the soft bed called to her.  A quick nap before dinner couldn’t hurt.  She crawled into the bed and let her arm hang lazily off the edge.  Watching her arm swing in tiny circles, she thought back to Greywald.  Would she really go there, and without him, no less?  Would he let her?  Fatigue caught up with her, and she didn’t have much time to think on the subject before drifting off to sleep.

Once her breathing slowed and he was certain she was asleep, Soul rolled towards her.  “You can be a real pain,” he said under his breath with a soft smile.  His hand reached up to examine hers.  He chuckled softly at how she always wore her gloves, even as she slept.  Curiousity set in, and he moved to remove her glove.  She stirred.  He paused and waited to see if she would wake, and when she did not, he decided to leave her hand alone.  But he couldn’t help but notice how worn the glove was.  She must have owned them for years, rarely, if ever, taking them off.  Clearly a new pair was in order.  He smiled and let his hand fall.  Naptime was calling his name as well.

…

Maka woke with a grumbling stomach and fingers stretched towards the empty bed on the floor.  Jolting up and bringing her hands to her chest, she couldn’t help but blush.  Why reach for Soul in her sleep?  They barely knew each other, but could she consider him a friend?  She certainly enjoyed his company, but…  She shook her head.  Finding her Gemina was her first priority, not figuring out her relationship with the young man.

A quick knock at the door startled her, and the visitor did not wait for an invitation to enter.  Soul stood in the now open doorway, a new pair of gloves in his hand.  “We saved some food for you.  I, uh, had a little more money left over, so I helped pitch in for dinner,” he said, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand.  Maka nodded in understanding while he made his way to the edge of the bed. He lifted the gloves towards her and began, “These…”  His cheeks tinted pink, and he looked away, dropping the gloves in her lap.  “Saw that you needed new ones.  I tried to make them myself, but to be honest I got a little help.”

She gingerly picked up the gloves, examining them thoroughly.  Each cuff had a bit of embroidery done with an inexperienced hand.  “Angel wings?” she muttered.

He covered his face with a hand.  “Tatiana said you reminded her of an angel from old stories.  She suggested I try embroidery, but it’s not very goo-”

“I love them.”

His fingers parted slightly, allowing him to peek at her between them to gauge if she was being serious or not.  Her eyes sparkled as she stared at the new gloves like one would a prized possession.  He blushed even more and said, “Should try them on.  If you want to…”

The happiness in her eyes changed to fear.  She stared at her right hand and wondered if it was a good idea to do as he said.  Her gaze came up to meet his through his fingers as he waited expectantly.  Thinking fast, she threw the covers over her head and tore off her old gloves.  She hoped he would think she was too embarrassed by the gift-giving to try on the gloves in front of him.  And to a certain degree, she truly was.  She gently slipped her hands into the new gloves and stretched her fingers.  The fabric fit a bit snug, but it wasn’t too uncomfortable.  She was more concerned about possibly ripping the seams.  Maka figured that when it came to battle, she would probably switch to her old gloves so she wouldn’t rip the new ones.  Under the cover of battle, it would be easier to switch without fear of Soul or anyone else seeing her mark.

“Well?  How are they?”

Keeping up with the embarrassed act (as she kept insisting it had to be an act), she reached only her left hand out from under the blankets.  She could feel his weight shift on the bed, probably moving to look at his handiwork.  His hand moved closer to hers, hesitant to touch her hand to get a better look.  Her racing heartbeat was more apparent to her now, and she wished it would slow.  If it beat any faster, Maka was certain Soul would be able to hear it pound in her chest.

“Will they do…?” he asked in such a quiet voice, Maka almost wasn’t sure he had said anything.  Pulling the covers off of her, she nodded vigorously.  “Then you’re welcome,” he said with a smile.  “Tatiana should still be downstairs, so go get some food when you’re ready.”  With that, he left her alone with her new present, closing the door softly behind him.  He leaned against the door, wondering when she would come out of whatever spell she was under and chastise him for the spending and gifting again.  

He’d do it again.  It was worth it.

To see her face like that, so happy and a little embarrassed, he’d do it all again.  To repay her, of course, for putting up with him on this journey of hers.  Not because he found himself liking her far more than he cared to admit out loud.  Because at the end of the day, his feelings didn’t matter.

She was searching for her Gemina.  And nothing else mattered.

Soul pushed off from the door and slowly made his way downstairs.  He decided to stay with her till the end, so long as she let him.  He’d even go with her to Greywald if she really asked him to at that point.  But in that moment, he needed some space, some time to set aside his feelings.  Having already eaten, he passed by the kitchen and headed outside.

The sun was still barely visible over the horizon.  He had to wonder how many more sunsets he would be able to see with her by his side.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, huge thanks to Nessie for all her help on this story! It wouldn't be nearly as awesome without her! Enjoy!

The tavern had almost become his actual home with how often he came in for a drink and slept at the tables.  Since Maka had left in search of her Gemina, Spirit had become distraught, seeking refuge at the bottom of a tankard most every day.  His little girl was all grown up, going on an incredibly dangerous journey.  She may never come back to him.  The man stared into his drink, praying to the Shinigami that she was safe.  

“You seem sad,” a gentle voice said, causing him to look up into a woman’s gold eyes.  Blonde locks framed her pretty face as she smiled down at him.  “Would you like some company?”

Words failed him, so he nodded before taking a swig of his drink once more.  “Just… a lot on my mind.”

“I’m a good listener,” she replied, taking a seat and folding her hands neatly under her chin.  “It’s good to get things off your chest.”

Spirit sighed and leaned back into his chair.  “First my wife, now my daughter… They’re all leaving me…  I’ll die old and alone.  I’m so worried about her, you know?  My Maka...”

Her gaze remained focused on him, her face ever smiling.  “Is your daughter visiting someone?  Her mother perhaps?”

He shook his head.  “She’s looking for her Gemina.  I know she’s been training, but she’s just one girl on her own, and this world is a cruel place.”

“Indeed.”

“Kami would know what to say or do,” he said with a sigh before taking another drink.

“Kami?  As in Kami Albarn?”  The smile disappeared from the woman’s mouth.  “She is your wife?”

“Yeah, or was anyway.”

He moved to bring the tankard up to his lips again, but her hand covered the top of the cup before he could drink.  The smile returned to her face.  “I’m sure your daughter can take care of herself until the time comes.  If you don’t mind, I must be going.”  She removed her hand from the tankard.

Eyeing her suspiciously, Spirit drank once more.  “So soon?  Why?”

With a laugh and toss of her blonde hair over her shoulder, she answered, “Because I’ve finished what I’ve started.”  And with that, she left the tavern.

Confused by the woman’s sudden leave, he idly swirled his drink.  A strange smell from the tankard caught his attention just as he began to feel weak, head swirling more than any drunk’s should.  She must have done something to his drink.  Spirit tried to stand, determined to chase the blonde down, but his legs could not carry him any longer.  He fell to the floor, the tankard rolling towards the door. Patrons and servers alike came rushing to his side.  But it was too late.  

Spirit was gone.  

From the tankard slithered a tiny snake that left the tavern undetected in the chaos.  It made its way out of the village of Aire, following the path into the woods toward the blonde woman.  She squatted down to allow the snake to coil itself around her arm before continuing down the path.  “I had a feeling there was more than just Kami Albarn.  I made a promise to her, remember?” she said sweetly to the snake, petting it with a single finger under its chin.  “I promised her that I would find every single one of her family members.  Let’s pay dearest Maka a visit, shall we?”

With the snap of her fingers, the snake dropped to the ground once more and grew to an alarming rate.  Now large enough for her to ride on, it bowed its head and allowed her to climb atop it.  The two made their way deeper into the forest, animals scattering.  They knew.

A storm was coming.

…

Soul had slept in, presumably getting the best night’s sleep he’d had in ages since Maka had managed to convince him to sleep in the bed for once.  She, on the other hand, had not been able to sleep well at all in the last couple of days.  The gifted glove pressed against her marked palm reminded her of the complication that was Soul.  Her mission had seemed simple enough, but he and the growing feelings she had for him made her whole journey more difficult.  She had to remind herself that the search for her Gemina was not for her.  It was for her mother, and for her, she would do anything.  So, she adjusted Soul’s blankets and let him sleep, choosing to search Vardent for her Gemina.

The townsfolk were incredibly pleased to see her as she stepped out of the inn.  Many had already gone out of their way to visit them at the inn, but many were still singing their praises for driving out the tyrant guard.  The waving, the hugs, the handshakes, it was all too easy for her to see everyone’s right palms.  But not a single crescent moon.  Despite the overwhelming praise, she felt her chest fall.  Another town, another disappointment.  After days of searching, she still came up with nothing.  She was running out of places to look.  Perhaps… she really would have to go to Greywald without him.

Finally getting away, she made her way back to the inn.  She found Soul waiting for her in the room, carefully folding the blankets laying on the floor.  “Where were you at?” he asked, concern on his face.

“Out looking,” she said nonchalantly as she moved to help him put the blankets back in the corner.  He raised an eyebrow at her.  “No luck.  We should keep moving.”

“So soon?  Are you sure?”

“You saw how many people came to visit us within this week.  Between them and everyone I checked, including today, there was no sign of a matching mark.”

“I ‘spose.  Where to then?”

Maka paused, eyes to the ground.  Where indeed?  “Well, where would you suggest?”

He shrugged.  “Anywhere you go, I’ll follow.  I promise to stay with you till the end.  I mean, if you’ll let me.”

Her chest ached at his words.  “Anywhere I go…?” she whispered.  Soul set the blankets aside, taking the ones in her arms as well, and nodded at her.  “Even to-”

“Anywhere you go.”  

She smiled and took his hand.  “Then let’s get going.”  They gathered up their belongings, cleaned up the room, and headed downstairs to announce their departure.

There were tears shed as they left, everyone in the innkeeper’s family insisting on giving them both hugs goodbye and as much provisions as Maka would allow them to give.  She worried about the family’s fate once they left, wondering if the guard would return.  He may even bring reinforcements.  The innkeeper’s wife, Tatiana, seemed to read her mind.

“Don’t worry about us.  We’ve found a way to make it through before, and we’ll do it again.” She gave the blonde another tight hug, continuing, “I can’t thank you enough for saving my husband’s life.  And I wish you well on your journey.”

Maka began to tear up a little, hugging her back with all her might.  Having finished their goodbyes, the two headed north towards Greywald.

…

The run-in with the witch did not go as Prince Wes had expected.  Medusa was far more powerful than they had anticipated, and she had gotten away.  Now, only a few of him men remained.  He worried what would become of his people if the menace was not stopped.  Not only had he failed his subjects, he had failed his parents as well.  They still had not found Soul.  He would have to return home empty handed and explain to his parents that their youngest was still missing.  With a heavy heart, he and his men crossed the Mjolnir fields, headed west for Greywald.

“This place used to be all dried up before Lady Mjolnir showed up, right?” one of the horsemen asked.

Another nodded.  “Making this place something beautiful was her greatest wish.  She found her Gemina and made these fields home.”

“She lives out here all by herself?”

“I think she feels a bit guilty.  That’s why she lives alone.  Why she looks out for travelers, gives them talismans and directions.  I bet she sees it as a way to redeem herself.”

Not long after the words fell from the man’s mouth, they came across a lonely figure.  Lady Mjolnir herself stood out among the flowers, basket of freshly picked ones on her arm.  As the group approached, she curtsied and asked, “What brings Your Majesty out so far?”

“Searching for my brother, Soul,” he replied, bringing his horse closer to her.  “He insisted on traveling to visit someone and had gone by carriage, but the carriage driver returned without him.  He said Soul had gone missing.  You… haven’t seen him, have you?”

“Yes!  He was here a few days ago with a girl!”

Wide eyed, Wes dropped from his horse and grabbed her by the shoulders.  “He was here?!  Who was the girl?!  Is he being held against his will?!  Where are they now?!”

Marie placed her free hand on his and answered calmly, “He was with a girl named Maka.  It seems they are travel companions, so he is certainly not with her against his will.  They stopped by my home to get directions to Vardent.  Maka said they couldn’t go to Greywald because it would cause trouble?  But I don’t see why…”  She trailed off a moment, trying to fit the pieces together.  “She doesn’t know who he is,” she whispered. “I don’t think he wants to be found.”

The prince didn’t understand.  Why would Soul insist on visiting a “friend” only to go missing, presumably because he had planned it that way.  Why would he not want to be found?  To go back home to the castle?  There was more than just his brother’s motives that bothered him, though.  Wes thanked her and climbed back on his horse, ordering his men to head for Vardent.  He had to find his brother quickly.  Before the witch or his Gemina did first.

…

“Hot springs?” Maka asked, looking at their surroundings.  Among the rocks and boulders lay a few small springs, large enough for a human to lay in.  After the few days travel from Vardent, she wondered if her eyes were simply deceiving her, too fatigued to see the landscape clearly.  She looked over to Soul and asked, “Do they look real to yo- What are you doing?!”

He stood there, eyebrow raised at her and shirt halfway up his torso, having stopped in the middle of removing his shirt.  “Getting in?” he offered.

“Why are you taking your clothes off?!”

“Do you swim with them on?”

She crossed her arms and glared at him.  “This isn’t a vacation!  We’re supposed to be going to Greywald to find my Gemina, so we don’t have time for this!”

“Could both use a little rest and relaxation, don’t you think?”  Bringing his shirt back down, he walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.  “Just for a little while, please?  I’m… still nervous about going back.”  His pleading puppy-dog eyes got the best of her, and Maka nodded.  He grinned at her and ran for the springs, tossing his shirt off with ease.

“You better make it quick though!” she called after him.  “I’m gonna take a look around!” She wandered a ways away, taking in their surroundings and touching some of the plants to confirm she wasn’t seeing things.  The path to Greywald led up into the mountains, and the fields were slowly turning into the mighty peaks about where they stood.  Even the plants began to change.  As she continued to exploring, she found a small fawn emerging from the bushes.  It stared at her, frozen where it stood.  Slowly, she crept forward, trying not to startle it.  “It’s alright, little one,” she cooed, raising a hand toward it.

Its head snapped to its left, frightened by something, and suddenly it leapt away.  Before Maka could question what it had seen, an enormous snake slithered out from the same bushes.  She recognized that snake.  It had been in Aire that day, so long ago, and it meant trouble.

So she ran.

“Soul!  Soul, I saw a huge snake!  I think it means Medusa’s here!  Please tell me you’re safe!” she screamed, running towards the spring she was sure she had left him at.  Suddenly, her run was halted, and she was knocked onto her back.  Maka shook her head and stared up at what she had run into.  Its name was Soul, but not just any Soul.  A very naked Soul.  Scrambling away from him, she shouted apologies over her shoulder.  She hid behind a nearby boulder to catch her breath and give him time to dress himself again.  Oh Shinigami, what she had seen… and what she had not seen…

“You done peeping over here?” Soul teased her, having found her hiding place.  He had had the decency to put some pants on before finding her.

Her hands came up to hide her face, embarrassed at how flustered she was becoming.  “I’m really sorry!  I was frightened and wanted to make sure you were alright and…  I didn’t see…”

“It’s okay if you did.  I’m not ashamed.”

“No, no, I didn- You don’t have a mark.”

His eyes widened, a hand moving to rub the back of his neck.  “Th-That’s ridiculous, everyone has a mark.  Now c’mon, if you saw something, we might be in trouble, and you screaming like a banshee probably didn’t do us any favors.”  He reached his hand out to her.  That was when she realized.

“How did you get those burns?”

He withdrew his hand a bit quicker than he meant to.  “I already told you, it was an accident,” he answered, averting her gaze.

“Liar.”  Maka glared up at him through her bangs.  “It wasn’t an accident was it?  You burned your hands on purpose.”

“Why would I burn my hands on purpose?!  Who would do something like that?!”

Ripping the glove off her right hand, she showed him the mark on her palm and shouted, “Because you have this mark, don’t you?!  On your right hand?!  And you burned your hands so you could hide the mark and make it look like an accident!”

HIs eyes widened as he placed his left hand around his right wrist, the fingers on his right hand clenching and unclenching.  “It was you all along,” he said in disbelief.  “That’s why you always wore the gloves…”  He took a step away from her, a bit of fear flickering in his eyes.

“No… you were… you were never supposed to be my Gemina!  Why did it have to be you?!”  She dropped to her knees and buried her face in her hands.  “I don’t want to kill you!”

Neither moved, only the sounds of the wood surrounding them.  Finally, Soul spoke.  “Remember when I said I wasn’t ready to find my Gemina?  I hadn’t decided what wish was equal in value to a human life.  I didn’t have a wish that was worth killing another human being.  I was born into royalty, and all I wanted was my freedom.  I didn’t think it was a just wish.”

Her fingers parted as she gazed up at him.  “You… You’re the young prince, aren’t you?”

He nodded.  “And you?  You were so determined to find your Gemina, to kill them and have your wish granted.  What is your wish?”

She stared at her mark.  “My mother was sick.  All she wanted was to get better… But her Gemina found her first.  Her Gemina wished for magical powers, and I lost my mother.  I wanted to bring her back… I made a promise for her...”

Soul watched her sadly, trying to figure out where they stood now, what the next course of action was.  His face set in determination, and he stepped closer to her, startling her and causing her to clamber away from him.  “Then do it.  Kill me,” he said, throwing his arms out wide.  “It’s only fair right?  A life for a life.  We both get what we want.  I get my freedom and you get your mother back.”

She pulled her hunting knife from her side, aiming its blade towards him.  “You stay away from me!  You know that I’m your Gemina now!  What if you’re lying to me?  What if this is all a trick?”

He threw his pack to her.  “See?  Not a lie, not a trick.  That is everything I have in my possession, you can check me if you need to.  I wouldn’t hurt you, Maka.”

“I don’t trust you!”

 


End file.
